


The Phoenix's Lament, Part II

by Indigo55



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Friendship/Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Loss, Loving Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 15:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15464424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigo55/pseuds/Indigo55
Summary: What I think must have happened late in the night of the First Invasion of Hogwarts





	The Phoenix's Lament, Part II

A striking matron of a witch looking to be in her late 60s was sitting at her kitchen table in her cottage in Dorset, surrounded by the quiet of the summer night. She was putting the finishing touches on a manuscript that was as much a “labor of love” to her as her spouse’s many-editioned, now-iconic text was to him. It was her first attempt at a book; while the idea wasn’t new to her, the actual production was. Like the man whose life she had shared these many years had done, she was writing about that which she knew best: Auror magic. 

“You simply must write it all down, Tina,” Persis had said emphatically at lunch some months ago, “then we shall have a wonderful training manual, don’t you see? A person with your ability and experience doesn’t wander into the Ministry Academy every day!” ‘Wander in’ was pretty much exactly what she had done years ago, when she became a UK Ministry Auror whose prodigious skill at her work attracted the attention of the Academy’s staff. The training of new Aurors was their business, and they had institutionalized the process of bringing in the best working Aurors as part-time instructors in the intense, three-year program. Persis Jered was herself a legendary Auror who had followed the lead of great Aurors before her and, upon retiring from active duty, taken the program’s directorship some 2 years ago; she had also become Tina’s good friend. And, she had been quick to pick up on the positive differences Tina’s US Auror training had given the American’s work. Tina was the first ever Yank transplant into the Ministry’s Auror Office; Persis wanted those differences down on parchment.

Tina was tall, still slender, and had a young air about her, with her slightly turned-up nose and mischievous smile, despite the silver threads in her brunette hair. Young enough still to dance the night away with her husband at his 100th birthday celebration a few months ago. Her quill’s scratching was the only sound in the cozy kitchen…when the late-night stillness was broken by one of the strangest sounds she had ever heard. It was some kind of song: rich, unearthly; she felt it physically as much as heard it, and it seemed to literally surround her. After a few seconds of frozen shock, she whispered, "It's...it's –"

"Where is the phoenix?" asked the man who hurtled into the room, startling his wife. He was tying the belt of his brown dressing gown over his gray and yellow striped pajamas and was barefoot. Tall and lean like her, his hair was laced with silver, too, but not as noticeably as hers, since he was fair where she was dark, and there was still lots of ruddy bronze in his thick and wavy hair.

The beautiful eerie cry sounded again, filling the kitchen. It was now plain it was coming from the back garden of the small house, which the kitchen faced. But there was nothing but blackness to be seen out the kitchen window.

Two long-legged strides had him gripping the doorknob to the back door, while Tina rose and reached towards him with a hand in supplication, calling, "Newt!" In deference to her, he took an extra second to bring out his wand, and holding it at ready, threw open the door and strode outside.

Tina, snatching up her wand from where it had been lying on the kitchen table, was right behind him. 

Once outside in the mild June night, they looked up to see, sitting in a tree just outside the door, a large, colorful, long-tailed bird that was visible because it was glowing softly with its' own light; surrounded by a halo. It was still emitting that amazing, melodious sound.

Newt approached the foot of the tree, lowering his wand, looking closely at the bird, or trying to; in his rush he'd forgotten his spectacles. But he could see well enough to know… "Merlin's beard! It's Fawkes!"

The bird nodded down at him, trilled in obvious greeting, then sprang from the tree limb and glided down to perch on the arm Newt extended. Silently its jewel-bright eye caught his.

"What is it, Fawkes?" breathed the wizard. "Why are you here?"

The beautiful bird ducked its head. It gazed at him with unmistakable sadness.

"Is…something wrong?..." murmured Tina, from her place just outside the kitchen door. "Oh, I hope it's not –"

Fawkes gave a mournful cry that stabbed them through.

Newt was staring into the phoenix's eyes. "Are you – are you telling us he's – "

Fawkes shuffled up Newt's arm to his shoulder, and trilled again, this time very low, into Newt's ear. It looked like a comforting gesture.

Newt said nothing else; his back to his wife, he stood stock still with the phoenix on his shoulder for a long minute. Then abruptly Fawkes trilled again, as if in farewell, and leapt into the air, spreading his large, golden wings. He circled the yard around the wizard twice, and then was gone.

The night was silent again. Quiet as death.

Wordlessly, Tina drew close to her husband and slipped comforting arms around him as he wept.


End file.
